Stratego Rules

Movement

• On each turn a player must move exactly one piece.
• Most pieces move exactly one square per turn — horizontally or vertically. Diagonal movement is not allowed.
• Scout may move any number of unoccupied squares in a straight line (horizontally or vertically) in a single turn, similar to a rook in chess. It may not jump over other pieces or lakes.
• Bomb and Flag are immovable and cannot be moved at any point during the game.
• A piece cannot move to a square occupied by a friendly piece.
• A piece cannot move onto or through a lake square.
• A piece cannot move back and forth between the same two squares on three consecutive turns (the two-square rule / perpetual-motion rule). If it does, the player must make a different move.

Combat

Combat occurs when a piece moves onto a square occupied by an opposing piece.

1. Both pieces are revealed (turned face-up) to both players.
2. The piece with the higher rank wins and remains on the board; the losing piece is removed.
3. If both pieces have equal rank, both pieces are removed from the board.
4. The winning piece moves into the contested square.

Special combat rules

• Spy vs. Marshal: The Spy defeats the Marshal only when the Spy is the attacker (moves onto the Marshal's square). If the Marshal attacks the Spy, the Marshal wins.
• Miner vs. Bomb: The Miner is the only piece that defeats a Bomb. Any other piece that attacks a Bomb is destroyed; the Bomb remains.
• Any piece vs. Flag: Any piece that moves onto the Flag's square captures it and wins the game.

Win Conditions

A player wins when either:

1. They capture the opponent's Flag.
2. The opponent has no legal moves on their turn (all movable pieces are completely surrounded by friendly pieces, lakes, or board edges).

A draw can be agreed upon by both players if neither side can make progress.

Setup Rules

• Players set up their 40 pieces in their own four starting rows before the game begins.
• Placement is entirely up to each player — there are no mandatory positions.
• Pieces are placed face-down so the opponent cannot see the ranks.
• Once both players have finished setup, the player who goes first (often determined randomly) takes the first turn.

Turn Structure

1. The current player moves one of their pieces (or initiates combat by moving onto an opponent's square).
2. If combat occurs, resolve it according to the combat rules above.
3. Play passes to the other player.

Key Strategic Notes

• Bombs are commonly used to protect the Flag.
• Miners are valuable because they are the only way to neutralize Bombs.
• The Spy is high-risk, high-reward: it is the only piece that can eliminate the Marshal but loses to every other rank.
• Scouts are useful for reconnaissance and rapid repositioning.
• Piece positions remain secret until revealed in combat, making bluffing and deduction central to the game.